From the architect. An original and unsual project of approxamately 450 m2, such was the proposal of architects Carolina Sakuno and Fausto Cintra for this residence, belonging to a young family. The volumetry of straight and pure lines pleased the taste of the clients who were longing a comtemporary residence.
The house has two floors and prioritizes architectonics solutions such as large interspaces and swings that bring lightness to the project. Perpendicular to the volumetry of the house, is found a garage that accomodate 3 vehicules. The edification is located at the terrain’s highest spot, with its gap won by stairs, surrounded by a wonderful tropical landscape, up to the main door.
The lower floor potentializes the integration between the spaces. As soon as one enters the residence by its main door, central pivoting made by wood, is possible to see the Living Room and the Gourmet Kitchen. An amazing wood stand is located in the living with double function. At its front, TV, wine cellar, equipments and objects of decoration. At its end, opening shelves harbor the tableware, and when is closed resembles to be a beautiful panel. All of this space opens up, through large running doors which are masked inside the wall, all the way to the pool’s deck. The rear landscaping follows the same tropical lines of the residence front. The contrast stays for the great vertical garden which appears to ‘be born’ out of the pool.
The access stairs to the above storey is hidden behind a wall made of artesanal bricks. The wooden stairs, with withdrawn metallic skirting-board, gained illumination where it shows the path to be tread. The above floor houses the dorms, 4 suits at total. The children suits open up to the recreation area, by large ‘prawn’ doors of Muxarabi wood. The same resource was used in the couple’s room with a street and woods view to the front of the house. The bathroom has the same kind of door, which guarantees a beautiful view to the outdoors, when open. This resource assures ventilation and natural light in the indoors, yet it provides a outstanding quality of privacy. The guests room is inspired by the same idea of permeability/privacy, but now it was used a wall of Cobogós concrete made in front of the window, giving a distinct taste to the lateral edification forefront.
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To most eyes, alleys are—at best—liminal zones. Inhabiting the space between “here” and “there,” they exist but for the grace of their adjacencies.
At worst, they are dark, dank, and even dangerous—seen by city dwellers as dead space. However, to a visionary few, the negative space alleys occupy isn’t dead at all; it’s merely dormant, waiting for a rebirth into something functional and new.
In cities where real estate is scarce, expensive, or impractical, alleys are being reclaimed, revitalized, and repurposed for parks, businesses, art, bike transit, and even urban agriculture. All of these green alleys have the potential to create new enclaves that make communities safer, cleaner, and more prosperous.
Among those who appreciate alleys not only for what they are, but also for what they could become, is architect and urban designer Daniel Toole. While living in Seattle in 2008, he developed a mild obsession with these urban veins and arteries in between buildings.
“Every day I walked through alleys from where I lived in First Hill down to my office near Pike Place Market,” says Toole, who, after photographing the alleys on his daily commute, began looking for new ways to engage with them. That led him to a metalworking class where he fashioned trinkets like ashtrays and flower boxes that he used to accessorize his favorite alleys.
“It became quite a hobby,” says Toole, author of Tight Urbanism, a tome dedicated to globe-tripping alleyway architecture, funded by AIA Seattle’s 2010 Emerging Professional Travel Scholarship. “In Melbourne, especially, their laneways used to be very dangerous. Now they’re the best part of that city because the city has created incentives that encourage people to open businesses in them. They’re full of boutiques, restaurants, bars, and art galleries—all kinds of stuff. On one side of a building you’ll have a large department store, and around back in the alley there will be some guy doing pour-overs in a quaint little plywood-clad café. That dichotomy really inspired me.”
So much so that Toole continued traveling alleys around the world, then returned to Seattle and began organizing alley tours and events on behalf of the city. Recently, Toole was commissioned by a developer for his first alley architecture projects: two alleys that are being transformed into pedestrian ways in the Miami Design District, a former warehouse district redeveloped into a creative neighborhood celebrating art, architecture, fashion, and food.
“Once construction in the neighborhood settles down, people are going to find these hidden gems tucked behind the buildings,” says Toole, who plans to start his own design practice specializing in back-alley architecture. “I think it’s going to be very eye-opening for the rest of the country.”
Like Toole, others see the potential benefits of rescuing alleyways from dumpsters and disrepair—or outright destruction. Take architect and urban designer Dan Cheetham, principal of Austin, Texas, architecture firm fyoog. In 2013, he noticed that several of Austin’s historic alleys were being consumed and privatized by “mega-block” developments, which rely on internal infrastructure for utilities and servicing instead of the external alleys dating back to Austin’s original 1839 city plan.
In response, he led the design effort for 20ft Wide, a nonprofit initiative celebrating Austin’s alleys by temporarily turning one of them—Alley No. 111, located on Ninth Street between Congress Avenue and Brazos Street—into a public space for art and activities. During the five-day exhibition, the alley hosted everything from live music and candlelit dinners to yoga and yard games beneath his colorful sculpture highlighting the historic remnants of the alley.
“Turning an alley into a pop-up public space creates awareness and allows people to really appreciate these spaces and learn about the history of the city and its formation,” Cheetham says.
The city’s Downtown Commission took notice, issuing a report, “Activating Austin’s Downtown Alleys as Public Spaces,” and has since undertaken new projects (such as the Rainey Alley Case Study) to explore transforming alleys into viable community spaces and preserving Austin’s rich architectural past.
“Alleys offer a unique glimpse into the history of cities and buildings,” Cheetham says. “They reveal details of how buildings and urban spaces were built and used; their social, cultural, and economic history; and lessons about urbanity that are still relevant today.
“There are all these really old, interesting parts and pieces of buildings that you wouldn’t otherwise see, which gives you a window into the history of the city.”
Rendering of Ivy Street, one of the "living alleys" in San Francisco, which features string lighting and in-pavement lighting. Image Courtesy of San Francisco Planning Department
Cultivating Community in California
In San Francisco, public spaces in alleys aren’t just pop-up; they’re permanent. Architect David Winslow, a project manager in the San Francisco Planning Department, is in charge of a $2 million program to create “Living Alleys” in the city’s Market and Octavia neighborhood. Its inspiration is the nearby Linden Alley, which was transformed in 2010 into a shared street for cars, bicyclists, and pedestrians. Just 100 feet long, it features a curb-free design that seamlessly blends street with sidewalk—adding leafy trees, patches of plantings, stone slabs that serve as benches, and a coffee shop inside what used to be an old garage.
“It’s a cherished space,” says Winslow, who worked on the alley when he was a private architect with an office above it. When he returns today, he says it feels like a shared front yard for the urban community around it. “What we’ve realized is that in most parts of the city, the value of the urban experience lies in the pedestrian realm. Because of their scale, alleys are a really special place where we can create uniquely pedestrianized environments.”
This small scale—which forces an intimate feeling and a slow pace—is a major reason architects and urban planners are attracted to alleys. “Alleys are like time capsules because businesses have never been back there,” Toole says.
Repurposing alleys comes with social, economic, and environmental incentives, too. “Alleys are a resource that has been entirely overlooked and stigmatized for the better part of a century,” Toole says. “Now they’re becoming hip, and I think that’s going to do excellent things for all aspects of our cities.”
Of course, where there are opportunities there also are challenges. Alleys can be fraught with strict zoning ordinances, buried utilities, public health and safety concerns (such as pests, garbage, crime, and traffic), space constraints, hydrology, environmental considerations like daylight and wind, emergency access and egress, and service continuity for garbage collection and deliveries.
“There’s also a challenge of perception,” Cheetham says. “People in the community may question the value of these spaces and wonder why you’re spending your time and money on alleys.”
But anyone who’s stumbled upon a hidden bar in Chicago, a secluded restaurant in Boston, a secret café in Amsterdam, or a back-alley boutique in Istanbul understands exactly why, according to Winslow: “It’s kind of magical when you wander into an urban environment, look down a narrow little street, and say, ‘Let’s check it out.’”
Table linens are an important part of setting a beautiful and elegant table. The best way of setting the tone for an event is to select the most suitable table linen.
There is an extensive variety of tablecloth available in the market. The trick to creating a beautiful and aesthetic look is choosing the right type and design of table linen.
Here are some tips to help you choose the best table linen for transforming a room.
Choose the right material
One of the most common material choice for table clothes is cotton. The aim of using round tablecloths is to make sure that tables are safe from wear and tear as they are regularly used. Cotton is the best choice because it is highly absorbent and durable. Cotton table clothes are affordable and easy to maintain. You can wash them in warm water and you can buy them in a variety of colors which makes them perfect for different occasions. They are an excellent choice for the dining table, kitchen area, and even outdoors.
Polyester and cotton are similar in a lot of ways. Polyester is shinier and silkier compared to cotton. It is well suited for formal occasions. It is also pretty affordable. One of the disadvantages of polyester is that it is made up of chemicals that can be harmful. Make sure you are not allergic to it before buying it. Polyester table clothes are suitable for outdoors, kitchen and dining area.
Vinyl is another option. Vinyl is highly suited for outdoor events and picnics. It is easy to maintain as you can easily get rid of stains. This material is durable as it is resistant to sun, stains, and weather. However, vinyl table clothes are not a good option for formal occasions as they may look cheap.
Silk is the perfect material options when it comes to formal events. Silk is perfect for creating a luxurious look. To add an extra edge, choose decorative silk linen. Silk table linen should be reserved for special occasions because the material is delicate and hard to maintain. It is important to take special care while washing them. They are perfect for weddings and other formal events.
Choosing the perfect size
The size of the table linen should be chosen while keeping the occasion in mind. For formal occasions, it should hang down 10 inches to 12 inches around the table. If you want to add extra elegance, then you can create a drop of 15 to 30 inches. The key to creating a dramatic look is to choose a longer drop.
To get the right size, you need to measure the length and width of the table and add the length of the drop according to your personal taste. You need to consider the shape of the table while measuring the tablecloth.
If there are different sized tables that you use, then it is better to buy the table linen that has the largest size.
Choosing the right design
The design of the cloth is important for creating a particular look. You can choose a woven, printed, patterned, or embroidered designs. For formal occasions, you should choose ivory or white color. You can choose printed and patterned designs for informal settings.
Damask and jacquard are used for patterns which are woven. They are perfect for creating an elegant and stylish look. It also refers to heavy cloth, but the patterns of damask are woven into fabrics of different weight.
These are some of the important considerations which will help in choosing the right table linen for any table setting and any occasion.
A157 is a residential project designed by Studio DiDeA in 2016. It is located in Palermo, Italy. A157 by Studio DiDeA: “A157 is Nicola Andò and Emanuela di Gaetano’s apartment, a young couple of architects partners at studio DiDeA. The house is 103 square meters (1,108 square feet) and it employs interior elements that are able to serve several functions. The architects decided to give more space to the day..
The Architectural Association on Bedford Square, London
Brett Steele, Director of London’s Architectural Association (AA) since 2005, has announced that he will become Dean of UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture in August 2017. Although American-born, Steele has since become a naturalized British citizen. He studied at the AA, the University of Oregon, and the San Francisco Art Institute respectively, before working as a Project Architect at Zaha Hadid Architects in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
We happen to live in a time when I don’t think schools—and I believe this very deeply—can pursue monolithic institutional views about what might be right or wrong in the world today.
As reported by the LA Times, Steele has said of his appointment: “I think we live in a time when the ability to assemble and invent audiences is as crucial to schools as all of the attention that most of them give to individual artists and performers and architects and designers. It’s in my view two sides of the same coin. There are a few very special places in the world where that’s built into the DNA and UCLA is simply one of those places.”
From the architect. The Hotel Hubertus is located in Valdaora, at the foot of the famous ski and hiking area Kronplatz in the Puster Valley at an altitude of about 1350 m. The family establishment was generously enhanced and enlarged with 16 new suites, a new kitchen with restaurants and “Stuben”, an entrance area with lobby, reception and wine cellar and a fitness and a relaxation room with panoramic terraces. The new 25 m long pool, functioning as a connector between old and new, underlines the essence of this comprehensive renovation and renewal project.
By creating an unified, rhythmically alternating facade with native larch tree trunks noa* connects “old and new” in a consistent manner. The homogeneous appearance, following the natural topography of the area, creates the theatrical base for the design of the new, cantilevering pool, which thrones between the old and new accommodation wings, floating between heaven and earth…
The new pool, which imposingly rests in-between the two accommodation wings, seems like a floating rock, come to rest at the site, overlooking the valley. The hidden edges of the pool, kept in anthracite-coloured stone, abolish the gap between pool and landscape, creating the impression of the water flowing into nothing, disappearing between pool and landscape. The pool metaphorically reminds of a mountain lake, nestled into the astonishing mountainscape of the UNESCO World Heritage site, the Dolomites…
The highlight of the project is the new sky pool, floating like a natural rock over the new accommodation wing. Without any visible boarders, a width of 5 m, a length of 25 m and a depth of 1,30 m the over 17 m cantilevering pool can be seen as completely unique. The position of the pool, which floats 12 m above the ground, at its extreme edge, gives the swimmer the feeling of floating – weightlessly between heaven and earth. This impression is further reinforces by the glass front and a glazed window on the bottom of the pool.
Product Description. The hidden edges of the pool, kept in anthracite-coloured stone, abolish the gap between pool and landscape, creating the impression of the water flowing into nothing, disappearing between pool and landscape.
